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Hoping to expand their popular brands, two powerhouse Scottsdale restaurants recently opened sibling units along the Camelback Corridor. But neither restaurant seems eager to fully acknowledge the fraternal bonds.

Two months ago, the Mastro team behind Michael Dominick's Lincoln Avenue Prime Steakhouse launched Steak 44 in the old Cork 'n Cleaver spot. Last fall, the Citizen Public House group took over Ruth's Chris Steak House and turned it into the Gladly.

Both places share almost identical genes with their big brothers — same concept, same executive chef and similar menus. So why not simply call each by its family name — Michael Dominick's Phoenix, Citizen Public House Phoenix — and make the kinship explicit?

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When you have two places with the same name, you may end up merely spreading out your business instead of increasing it. Moreover, if one member of a dining group vetoes Michael Dominick's or Citizen Public House, both units are out of luck.

Calling the new place by a different name opens up the possibility of attracting new diners without cannibalizing the existing customer base.

So how are these sibling rivalries playing out?

Steak 44 seems less like Michael Dominick's younger brother and more like its twin, albeit one born 21/2 years later.

The Mastros have pitched Steak 44 as a more casual and less expensive alternative to Michael Dominick's, which cost $6million to build. Well, it's true that Steak 44 doesn't have palatial chandeliers, a top-story pool and a retractable roof. But the Arcadia eatery is plenty swanky, with crisp, white linen tablecloths, lots of polished dark wood and warm towels at the end of the meal. And although prices here are a few dollars lower (especially if you order petite-size steaks), a three-course meal with a drink, tax and tip can easily set you back $75 to $100.

That said, Steak 44 is a first-class restaurant whose appeal stems from kitchen performance, not family reputation.

Dinner gets underway with a skillet of warm herbed Parmesan rolls. Don't even bother trying to convince yourself to lay off them — they're irresistible. Save your willpower for not asking for a second round once they're gone.

Steak 44's appetizer list pretty much hews to Michael Dominick's template, but there are exceptions. And they're exceptional.

I suppose if you forced me to choose, I'd say the crab-avocado wonton stack ($15), a wicked combination of lush and crunch, is my favorite. But I couldn't argue with anyone who preferred the pork belly ($10); the trio of giant shrimp sauteed in wine ($14); or the playful, panko-crusted fried deviled eggs ($6).

Steaks — prime-grade and wet-aged — are the heart of this menu. The one cut that I didn't recall seeing at Michael Dominick's is the Delmonico, a boneless rib eye (16 ounces, $37). Maybe it shouldn't be here either — the beef was a bit chewy, not nearly as memorable as the dreamy filet, New York strip or bone-in rib eye.

But the hunky, bone-in veal chop ($47) is just as arresting here as it is in Scottsdale. It's no exaggeration to call it one of this town's best meat dishes. Meanwhile, another import, six fat, juicy New Bedford scallops (10 ounces, $36), can delude you into thinking you're eating on an East Coast pier.

The asparagus fries from Steak 44 in Phoenix.(Photo: John Samora/The Republic)

As far as I can tell, the only other main dish besides the Delmonico unique to Steak 44 is the meatloaf ($24). Flavorfully fashioned out of beef, veal and pork, it's thick-cut, coarse-ground and very dense — just the way I like it.

As at most high-end steak houses, main dishes come with nothing but a fork, knife and napkin, so you'll need an a la carte side dish or two to round out the course. Skip heart-stoppingly rich Michael Dominick's standbys like macaroni and cheese, potato gratin and creamed spinach, and consider instead two Steak 44-only options: crispy tempura asparagus spears ($7); and wonderful roasted sweet potatoes glazed with bourbon and marshmallow ($6).

If you've ever had Michael Dominick's amazing butter cake, your Steak 44 dessert investigation may end before it's begun. But you'll discover nothing but pleasure (and a zillion calories) in the red velvet bread pudding padded with cream cheese, white chocolate and a scoop of vanilla gelato ($8); or the cookies-and-cream sundae gilded with hot fudge and caramel popcorn ($7).

At all Mastro operations, the drinks are stiff, pricey and well-crafted. Steak 44's old-fashioned ($14), Manhattan ($14) and blood-orange martini ($14) live up to the standard.

When it comes to service, however, Steak 44 exceeds the standard. Smiling hostesses, solicitous managers and thoroughly professional busers and servers make dining here a real pleasure.